warning! warning!

[thespaceopera]

[The nebulas are beautiful in this region of space, at the very least. They gleam as great distorting clouds of space-stuff that your scanners don't even want to attempt to analyze. They affect the ships' instruments much like other areas of disruption have in the past, but these are actually visible as large swathes of light--like giant flames frozen in their swirling shapes, suspended across impressive stretches of space. For once, there's something like scenery to look at, out here in the black...

And then, the proximity alarms begin to blare.

From a gap between the two nearest clouds comes an assemblage of ships! Familiar to some and new to others--they do not respond to hails or communications of any kind, and they're gunning straight for the Fleet without slowing. Their weapons are locking on and firing as soon as they are in range.

Many passengers have been through this before, and many of the ships are bigger and better than they'd been in the previous skirmish. Today, the Drift Fleet will put up a better fight, even punch a few holes in their attackers.

Your augment knows where you need to go! Do you run to your station? Do you dodge your job? Are you unsure how to help? Are the captains giving orders or panicking, and are their crews paying attention? Everyone's got a chance to fight back before the enemy fleet runs them into the nearest nebula--and things suddenly take a bad turn.

As soon as each Drift Fleet ship hits the nebula, its systems overload and short-circuit before going dead. It stays silent for minutes, no radar, no comms, no network. Stubborn stragglers are ganged up on and forced into the cloud, followed by the poor ships on autopilot being bodily hauled into the nebula with tractor beams. Once the entire Fleet has been set adrift as sitting ducks, before the Marsiva can get too close, the attacking fleet... turns and flees through the cloud, seemingly untouched by the nebula that scrambles your ships.

Eventually, the systems flicker back to life, blinking on one by one. It will be several hours before any other effects of the attack will be noticeable. The network shows up as live again, but Atroma never shows up to explain a thing...]


ooc: the out-of-character event post is over here! respond to this post any way you like; you can have action, comm messages, play during the attack, being stuck in the nebula, checking in after the network comes back online, or whatever else seems fitting.

Comments

[cpt_ressentiment]

[ Head check received! With a cut-off noise of surprise, Yosuke ducks his head a little - reflex, purely - before he whirls around to see what the heck that was. ]

Wanda? What just--

[ But she snaps for him to focus, and focus, he tries! His clarity is definitely returning - tenfold, even, though he couldn't begin to tell you how. And with a sharp shake of his head, he's back in the game, so to speak. ]

Right. Okay. We can't get out of autopilot, so we're gonna have to stand our ground. We've got weapons now, right? So let's get someone over there to start shooting back!

[notmutantbutmiracle]

[Wanda nods her head, moving towards the weapon's station. While she was not the Starstruck's security officer, her tactical support augment gave her enough direction on how to use basic ship defense functions. It would be enough to repel their attackers, at least until their actual security officer arrives.]

[As she hurries over to the weapons station, she checks over her shoulder to make sure Yosuke was still keeping it together. He did still seem a little confused by the little mental jump-start she gave him.]

I can explain what I did later, but right now I think our new friends here take priority, no?

[She gives a slight, reassuring smile, trying to let Yosuke know that she was here and not going anywhere. She wouldn't leave her captain, her friend, out to dry.]

[cpt_ressentiment]

[ She starts toward that console, and relief washes over him - she'll do great. He knows she will. And damned if he's not grateful for the fact that she's here. ]

Heh. You're right. Still... thanks. Seriously.

[ He nods once, firm - and then, he grins. ]

C'mon, give 'em hell!

[notmutantbutmiracle]

[Wanda's reassuring smile remains on her face, as she climbs into the weapons station chair. She fires up the console and readies herself.]

My pleasure.

[A slight pause before she adds:]

Captain.

[A quality of playfulness creeping into her smile. That probably made Yosuke's day.]